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2001 Dakota shifting way too early.

4K views 24 replies 3 participants last post by  immattj 
#1 ·
My 2001 Dakota with 5.9L Magnum 4WD Automatic is shifting way too soon. It shifts so fast I can't get any speed built up because it is bogging down from being too high of a gear. Now normally this thing would take off like a rocket, but it just started this. I cut one of the trans cooler lines about six months ago by accident so it does leak a little but it takes a while before it gets low. I checked the fluid and it was low but once I filled it up the problem is still there. I live in west Texas and you kind of need to be able to build some speed pretty fast if you want to drive here. I saw something about resetting the transmission control module and I tried disconnecting the battery cable and turning the key to the start position and holding it there for 20 seconds but it did not help. I did have a vehicle that did this once and it turned out to be a clogged catalytic converter, but it would not even rev up. I can sit in park and rev the engine, it is just when I try to accelerate that the problem happens. It is already in overdrive before I reach 20 mph. Anyone else ever have this problem? Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
Hey I am glad you asked, I forgot to put that in the original post. Yes I did try shifting manually and it was like it was before. I could accelerate get it up to speed quickly. I am worried about damaging the transmission so I only did the manual shifting once, but yes it was back to normal when shifting manually.
 
Discussion starter · #5 ·
If you are going to drive it anyway, I don't think that shifting it manually will be any more harmful to it than if you put it in D & let it shift itself as rapidly as you previously described.

But to clarify: when you put it in D & start driving, you are saying that ALL of your shifts,INCLUDING 1-2 AND 2-3, happen way too fast. Is that correct?

The reason I ask is because I have a '03 with 5.9 (46RE tranny) & I went to the FSM to the tranny troubleshooting section, & there is a issue described as "3-4 upshift occurs immediately after 2-3 shift." For that the FSM offers OD solenoid connector or wiring shorted, or TPS malfunction, or PCM malfunction, or OD solenoid malfunction, or valve body malfunction. In that order.

And to also clarify, you are sure that you do have 2cond gear. Correct? I ask because I believe that if you lost your forward band you would also lose 2cond gear which might make it feel as if you were shifting into 3 too rapidly.

However, from reading your OP, that doesn't sound applicable.

I am kind of multi tasking at the moment, so give me a bit & I'll se if I skimmed over something in the FSM that is more applicable.
Yes it goes through all of the gears really fast. I am not sure if I have second, I was not counting the shifts. I wonder which transmission I have. To me it seems like it goes 1, 2, 3 and then overdrive so you might be on to something.
 
Discussion starter · #20 ·
Update: First of all let me apologize, I have not been able to get on here much lately. I appreciate all the tips and suggestions. I changed the TPS and viola the problem has gone away. When I took the old one off, I noticed it looked brand spanking new and sure enough I had changed it about 2 years ago. I usually get my parts from Oreilly's but I think I am going to get them somewhere else. That is about the 3rd or fourth part that has failed. I have put 3 of those blower motor resistors on and the last one lasted about a month and when it went out this time it fried all the wires going into the connector. But as for the shifting problem, that is fixed for now. I wonder if I should change the trans fluid and filter. I really am afraid to change it, everytime I have done this on previous vehicles the transmission would go out after a day or two. I doubt it has ever been changed. It has 220,000 on it now. What do you guys think?
 
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